Sex Therapy in Abusive Systems

Catalog description

The purpose of this course is to understand the intersection of adverse sexual experiences, sexual shame, and abuse from a systemic lens. This course will focus on research around shame and trauma to explore how client experiences of sexual abuse, exploitation, harassment, assault, substance abuse, out-of-control sexual behavior, and non-consent can impact their subsequent development and functioning. Students will gain a multi-systemic understanding of the prevalence of abusive mechanisms in the client’s experience of their sexual stories. This course will adapt sex positive, non-shaming treatment approaches to working with these populations.